Blue Tops White, 20-0, In Butler Spring Game

Quarterback Matt Lancaster (Photo by Zach Bolinger)

Apr 20, 2013

INDIANAPOLIS, IND. -- Quarterback Matt Lancaster rushed for one touchdown and passed for another to lead the Blue team to a 20-0 victory over the White team in Butler's annual Spring Football Game on Saturday (April 20). The intersquad game at the Butler Bowl wrapped up Butler's spring practice season.

Lancaster, named the Most Outstanding Offensive Player in the Pioneer Football League while helping Butler to an 8-3 campaign last fall, put his team ahead in the first quarter with a 38-yard touchdown run. The Butler senior-to-be faked a handoff to running back Trae Heeter and cut back, breaking free around left end and sprinting to the end zone for an early 7-0 advantage.

The Bulldogs' signal caller then made it 14-0 moments later with a seven-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brendan Shannon. He spotted Shannon in the end zone, and the Butler receiver went up in a crowd to make an acrobatic catch for the score.

The final score by the Blue team was provided by quarterback Matt Shiltz, who raced 24 yards in the second quarter for a touchdown. The Blue team led 20-0 at halftime, and the game was played with a running clock in the second half.

Lancaster completed seven of 10 passes for 55 yards and one touchdown, while Shiltz hit 16 of 26 attempts with one interception for 108 yards. Malcolm Weaver completed 10 of 19 passes with two interceptions for 71 yards and Kyle Brockett hit three of six passes with one interception for eight yards.

Rico Watson topped all rushers on the day with 11 carries for 72 yards, while Lancaster added 42 yards on two attempts. Heeter, the leading rusher in the PFL last season, finished with 29 yards on five carries.

Brian Akialis, playing for the White team, finished with a game-high six pass receptions for 49 yards, while Shannon, the Bulldogs' leading pass receiver a year ago, had 41 yards on four catches. Tom Judge pulled down five passes for 32 yards and Brandon Collins had 34 yards on four receptions. Fourteen different players recorded at least one catch in the intersquad game.

The Bulldogs, who shared the PFL title with Drake and San Diego last season, will resume practice in August in preparation for the 2013 campaign. Butler will open the season at South Dakota State on Saturday, August 31. The Bulldogs' first home game will be on Sept. 7 against Wittenberg.c